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1.
Abdou Diouf
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Abdou Diouf is a Senegalese politician who served as the second President of Senegal from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade and he served as the second Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie from January 2003 to December 2014. Diouf was born in Louga, Senegal, the child of an Halpulaar mother and he went to primary and secondary school at the Lycée Faidherbe in Saint-Louis, and studied law at Dakar University and then at the Sorbonne, Paris. After graduation, Diouf returned to Senegal, where in September 1960 he was appointed Director of International Technical Cooperation, in November 1960 he became assistant of the Secretary-General of the Government and in June 1961 he became Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defense. In 1961 he joined the Senegalese Progressive Union, which became the Socialist Party of Senegal. In December 1961 he became Governor of the Sine-Saloum Region, serving in that position until December 1962, in May 1963 he was moved to the position of Director of the Cabinet of President Léopold Senghor, where he remained until December 1965. In January 1964 he became Secretary-General of the Presidency, serving until March 1968 when he became Minister of Planning and he remained in the latter position until February 1970, when he was named Prime Minister. In 1970, Senghor reinstated the post of minister, giving it to Diouf. Senghor trusted Diouf, who had administrative experience but no independent power base of his own and this was important, for Senghors last prime minister Mamadou Dia was accused of using the position to launch a coup détat. On January 1,1981, Senghor resigned in favor of Diouf, Diouf continued the political liberalization Senghor had begun by holding elections in 1983. He allowed fourteen opposition parties to run, instead of the four Senghor had allowed, the practical effect of this was to fragment the opposition, and Diouf won with 83.5 percent of the vote. In 1985, opposing parties tried to form a coalition and it was broken up on the grounds that coalitions were forbidden by the constitution. Also in 1985, Abdoulaye Wade, Dioufs main political opponent, was arrested for unlawful demonstration. In February,1988, elections were held again, Diouf won 72.3 percent of the vote to Wades 25.8 percent, and opposing parties alleged electoral fraud. Disturbances followed, and Diouf declared a state of emergency, detaining Wade again until May of that year, under Diouf, Senegal agreed to form a confederation called Senegambia with neighboring Gambia on December 12,1981, this union took place on February 1,1982. In April 1989, the Mauritania-Senegal Border War developed, leading to an outbreak of ethnic violence, as the region destabilized, Senegambia was dissolved. In 1986, Diouf began a program in Senegal, before the virus was able to take off in earnest. He used the media and schools to promote safe-sex messages and required prostitutes to be registered and he also encouraged civic organizations and both Christian and Muslim religious leaders to raise awareness about AIDS

2.
Chantal Petitclerc
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Chantal Petitclerc, CC, CQ, MSM is a Canadian wheelchair racer and a Senator from Quebec. At the age of 13, Petitclerc lost the use of legs in an accident when at a friends farm, a heavy barn door fell on her. In a 2011 interview, she stated that, really helped me get more fit and stronger, swimming also allowed her to discover her competitive drive. While she had previously been first in her class academically, it was her introduction to the world of competitive racing, when she was eighteen, Pierre Pomerleau, a trainer at Université Laval in Quebec City, introduced her to wheelchair sports. Using a homemade wheelchair, she took part in her first race and came last, however, she had fallen in love with wheelchair racing and a long and fruitful career had begun. Four years later, at the Atlanta games, she took gold medals in the 100 and 200 m events and three silvers in the 400,800, and 1500 m races. At the 2000 Summer Paralympics, she won two golds, in the 200 m and 800 m, and two silvers, in the 100 m and 400 m races. She won three medals and a bronze at the 2002 World Championships and a gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the 800 m. At the 2004 Summer Olympics she won the 800 m, for her performance in 2008, she was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year and the Canadian Presss Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canadas female athlete of the year. With her 5 golds in the 2004 Paralympics, she tied the existing Canadian gold medal record at a single Games, Winter or Summer and her 5 golds in the 2008 Paralympics tied that record. As of 2010, the record still stood, as of 2012 she holds five world records for wheelchair racing. She was chosen as the flagbearer of the Canadian team at the ceremonies of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Petitclerc lives in Montreal, and trains at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard, Rio Tinto Alcan is her main sponsor since 1998. Petitclerc was named the Chef de Mission for Canada’s 2014 Commonwealth Games team and she was also named Chef de Mission for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Petitclerc is married to music composer James Duhamel and gave birth to son Elliot in December 2013. On March 18,2016, Petitclerc was named to the Senate of Canada on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and she will sit as an Independent senator, not affiliated to any political party. Senator Petitclerc sits on two committees, Agriculture and Forestry and Social affairs, science and technology and her main priorities in the Senate are health as well as the rights of persons with disabilities. In June 2016, Senator Petitclerc delivered her first speech in the Chamber on Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make related amendments to other Acts

3.
Jacques Chirac
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Jacques René Chirac is a French politician, who served as the President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra from 1995 to 2007. Chirac served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976, from 1986 to 1988, Chirac occupied various senior positions, including Minister of Agriculture, Minister of the Interior, Prime Minister, Mayor of Paris, and President of the French Republic. Chiracs internal policies initially included lower tax rates, the removal of controls, strong punishment for crime and terrorism. After pursuing these policies as Prime Minister, Chirac changed his method, Jacques Chirac has emerged as an improbable icon of retro taste and a figure of public affection. On 15 December 2011, the Paris court declared him guilty of diverting public funds and abusing public confidence, and gave Chirac a two-year suspended prison sentence. Chirac, born in the Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire clinic, is the son of Abel François Marie Chirac, an executive for an aircraft company, and Marie-Louise Valette. His great grandparents on both sides were peasants, but his two grandfathers were teachers from Sainte-Féréole in Corrèze, according to Chirac, his name originates from the langue doc, that of the troubadours, therefore that of poetry. He was educated in Paris at the Cours Hattemer, a private school and he then attended the Lycée Carnot and at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. After his baccalauréat, he served for three months as a sailor on a coal-transporter, Chirac played rugby union for Brives youth team, and also played at university level. He played no.8 and second row, in 1956, he married Bernadette Chodron de Courcel, with whom he had two daughters, Laurence and Claude. Chirac is the grandfather of Martin Rey-Chirac by the relationship of Claude with French judoka Thierry Rey, Jacques and Bernadette Chirac also have a foster daughter, Anh Dao Traxel. Inspired by General Charles de Gaulle, Chirac started to pursue a civil career in the 1950s. During this period, he joined the French Communist Party, sold copies of LHumanité, in 1950, he signed the Soviet-inspired Stockholm Appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons – which led him to be questioned when he applied for his first visa to the United States. Chirac trained as a military officer in armoured cavalry at Saumur. He then volunteered to fight in the Algerian War, using connections to be sent despite the reservations of his superiors. His superiors did not want to make him an officer because they suspected he had communist leanings, after leaving the ENA in 1959, he became a civil servant in the Court of Auditors. In April 1962, Chirac was appointed head of the staff of Prime Minister Georges Pompidou. This appointment launched Chiracs political career, Pompidou considered Chirac his protégé, and referred to him as my bulldozer for his skill at getting things done

4.
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
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Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and Senator for Vienne. Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, however, after Raffarin resigned, he said that his decision was not based on the outcome of the vote. Opinion polls following his resignation suggested that Raffarin was one of Frances least popular Prime Ministers since the Fifth Republic was established in 1958 and he was also Vice President of the Senate from 2011 to 2014. Born 3 August 1948, Raffarin grew up in Poitiers as the son of a prominent national figure and he studied law at Panthéon-Assas University and later graduated from ESCP Europe business school. He started his career in marketing. In the 1970s, his first political commitment was in the association of Valéry Giscard dEstaings young supporters, in the 1980s, he started a career in local politics in Poitou-Charentes region. With the support of René Monory, the political leader. Seven years later, he was elected senator of Vienne département, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Craft, 1995–1997. Electoral mandates European Parliament Member of European Parliament, 1989–1995, Senate of France Senator of Vienne, Elected in 1995, but he stays minister / 1997–2002 / Re-elected in 2004, but he stays Prime minister / Since 2005. Elected in 1995, re-elected in 1997,2004,2005,2008, Regional Council President of the Regional Council of Poitou-Charentes, 1988–2002. Vice-President of the Regional Council of Poitou-Charentes, 2002–2004, municipal Council Deputy-mayor of Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, 1995–2001. Political functions Vice-President of the Union for a Popular Movement, Since 2007, during the 1995 presidential campaign, while most UDF politicians supported Édouard Balladur, he chose the winning candidacy of Jacques Chirac. In return, he was nominated Minister of Small and Medium-sized Companies, Commerce, at the same time, the pro-Chirac UDF members founded the Popular Party for French Democracy. Then, he returned in the Republican Party, became Liberal Democracy in 1997 and he was vice-president of DL until 2002. During the 2002 presidential campaign, he advocated the union of the right behind the incumbent President Chirac, after his re-election, Chirac wished to give a sign of political renewal. Furthermore, elected in a second round by a majority of left-wing voters, he searched for a moderate to lead the cabinet. Raffarin participated in the formation of the Union for a Popular Movement and his political policies combined authority and moderate economical liberalism – that is, the support of laissez-faire economic policies. In 2003 he launched reforms of the public retirement scheme and of decentralisation, during the summer of 2003 the country experienced an unusual heat wave which caused the death of nearly 15,000 people

5.
Laurent Fabius
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Laurent Fabius is a French Socialist politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 March 1986. Fabius was 37 years old when he was appointed and is, so far, later, Fabius was President of the National Assembly from 1988 to 1992, and again from 1997 to 2000. Fabius served in the government as Minister of Finance from 2000 to 2002, Fabius was born in the wealthy 16th arrondissement of Paris, the son of Louise and André Fabius. He is the brother of Catherine Leterrier and François Fabius. Fabius parents were from Ashkenazi Jewish families, and converted to Catholicism and he has three sons, David with his partner Ch dIzarny Gargas, Thomas and Victor with his spouse Francoise Castro. Fabiuss secondary education was at the Lycée Janson de Sailly and Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Fabius was a graduate of institutions that are training grounds for academics, and senior civil servants and executives. After his studies, Fabius became an auditor for the Council of State, a member of the Socialist Party since 1974, Fabius was first elected to the National Assembly in 1978 for the fourth constituency of Seine-Maritime. Fabius quickly gained entry to the circle of François Mitterrand, the leader of the party, when Mitterrand was elected as President of France in 1981, Fabius was nominated as Minister of the Budget. Two years later, Fabius became Minister of Industry, and pursued the policy of industrial restructuration, in 1984, a government shake up by Mitterrand led Fabius to be appointed as Prime Minister at the age of 37. Fabius advocated a new kind of French socialism, which accepted the market economy, the allowable income for recipients of the young child allowance was increased for families with three or more children. The Fabius Government also sought to reduce penalties on families with working mothers by substantially increasing the income ceiling for dual-income families receiving the young child allowance. In 1985, as a means of upholding the rights of homosexuals, in November 1984, an allowance was introduced if the parent concerned had been employed for two or more years. Known as the “allocation parentale d’education, ” this allowance provided 1,000 francs per month for parents who decided to take two years of leave after the birth of their first child. Payment was to continue after this period for 8 out of 10 families for a further 32 months on a means-tested basis, in effect, this created a benefit for the first child in lower income families. The government, however, reduced the daily maternity allowance from 90% to 84% of the basic wage, in June 1985, a law was passed allowing first offenders who had committed petty crimes to serve sentences of six months or less in public-service jobs. A July 1985 law tripled the amount of aid for victims of crimes, legislation was introduced later that year to restrict the use of preventive detention, and ensure that the rights of suspects were better protected. A special 1985 holiday programme was introduced, directed particularly at young people outside the traditional circuits of organised leisure activities, the right to maternity leave was also extended to the father, in the event of the death of the mother in child-birth. The father was entitled to leave and could claim an allowance under the maternity insurance scheme

6.
National Order of Quebec
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The order contains three grades, each with accordant post-nominal letters and place in the Canadian order of precedence for honours, decorations, and medals. This body is mandated to short-list candidates and forward their suggestions to the Governor-in-Council. Any person born, living, or who has lived in Quebec, save for anyone serving as a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec, is eligible to be nominated and names may be submitted posthumously. The Cabinet may also, without the input of the Council of the National Order of Quebec, promotion through the grades is possible for both substantive and honorary members. Admission recognizes conspicuous meritorious actions that improve or support Quebec and/or its language, upon admission into the Order of Quebec, members are presented with various insignia of the organization—a medallion, miniature, and button. On the reverse of the badge is inscribed the orders motto—Honneur au peuple du Québec —and a serial number at the base of the vertical bar. Each member will also receive miniature versions of their insignia, identical in appearance save for size, a lapel pin is also used for wear on casual civilian clothing. The ribbon for miniatures is 18 millimetres wide, the ceremony takes place in the Salon Rouge of the parliament building in Quebec City, though exceptions are sometimes made when inductees cannot be present. The insignia remain property of the Crown in Right of Quebec and must be returned upon a cessation of membership in the society. Nana Mouskouri OQ, Greek singer, appointed 2013

7.
Orders, decorations, and medals of Canada
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The monarch in right of each Canadian province also issues distinct orders and medals to honour residents for work performed in just their province. The provincial honours, as some of their national counterparts, grant the use of post-nominal letters and or supporters. In Canada, the monarch is represented by the governor general, as such, the administration of the honours system is carried out by the Chancellery of Honours at Government House, which is a part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General of Canada. The governor general also sets out via Order in Council the order of precedence for the wearing of insignia, decorations, appointments into the order continued even after the transfer of New France to the British Crown in 1763. After the creation of British North America, Canadians were entitled to receive British imperial honours, appointments into the Order of the British Empire, into grades below those that carried a title, were also commonly made. Such acts of recognition were carried out by the reigning British monarch, the British government felt no obligation to consult any government in British North America before bestowing an honour upon any resident of the colonies. Thereafter, the Canadian House of Commons in 1917 and 1919 passed the Nickle Resolutions, the end of the conferment of imperial honours on Canadians came in 1955. Governor General the Viscount Monck had originally pushed for a distinct Canadian order of knighthood in 1867, the idea was revived by Vincent Massey in 1935 and again in 1951, in between which he also suggested in 1940 a Royal Order of Canada. The Canadian Cabinet, however, never accepted these proposals, generally wishing instead to steer clear of the topic of orders. Bennett, this was the first time a specific to Canada. In 1942, the Canada Medal was created by royal warrant of King George VI, though none was ever struck, in 1951, the first distinctly Canadian campaign medal, the Korea Medal, was created, when other Commonwealth countries used the British version. The centennial of Canadian Confederation in 1967 provided the opportunity and circumstances in which to establish Canadas first order. In June 2010, McCreery highlighted inconsistency in honouring those in Canadas royal family, for example, the Queen Mother was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada on only an honorary basis, though the Canadian Forces Decoration awarded to her was substantive. Upon taking office, governors general and viceregal consorts become Extraordinary Companions of the Order of Canada, the governor general also sets out, via Order in Council, the order of precedence for the wearing of insignia, decorations, and medals. The chancellery will investigate whether or not the honour is necessary. Any future amendments to the appearance or award criteria do not need the monarchs approval. There are also advisory councils or committees for decorations in general and for valour decorations, the Secretary to the Governor General will usually serve as secretary general to many of these boards. The Canadian honours system also includes two dynastic orders—the Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order—and one personal award of the sovereign—the Royal Victorian Chain and these were created by the sovereign alone and inductions and presentations are at his or her personal discretion

8.
Paul Desmarais
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Paul Desmarais, Sr. PC CC OQ was a Canadian financier and philanthropist, based in Montreal. With an estimated net worth of US$4.5 billion, Desmarais was ranked by Forbes as the fourth wealthiest person in Canada. He was chairman and chief officer of Power Corporation of Canada until 1996 when he passed the reins of management of Power Corporation to his sons, Paul Jr. He then continued to serve as a director and chairman of the committee of the board. Power Corporation of Canada is an international management and holding company with interests in companies in the financial services, communications. Desmarais was highly regarded for his standard of integrity and his commitment to a united, Desmarais was born in Sudbury, Ontario, to lawyer Jean-Noël Desmarais and Lébéa Laforest. The Desmarais family is originally from Quebec and descended from Paul Desmarais who moved to Canada from Saint-Sauveur, Desmarais grandfather Noël Desmarais 1873-1964 founded the town of Noëlville, Ontario, now part of the municipality of French River. Desmarais was married to Jacqueline Maranger, also from Sudbury and they had two sons, Paul Jr. and André and two daughters, Louise and Sophie. The Desmarais family has a family estate in Sagard, Quebec, Canada. The area of the estate is over 75 square kilometers, Desmarais also owns secondary homes in Palm Beach, Florida and New York. Desmarais was a philanthropist, making contributions to the arts, education, health. After having graduated from the University of Ottawa, Desmarais went to Osgoode Law School until he began working at a railroad and bus line, Sudbury Bus Lines, the company was sold to him for a symbolic 1 CAD, because it was almost bankrupt. He rescued the company and acquired additional bus lines in the Ottawa area and he founded Canada China Business Council in 1978. Taking advantage of the investment of the Power Corporation of Canada, Desmarais took control of a large pulp and paper company. Acquiring Trans-Canada Corporation Fund, Desmarais obtained the newspaper La Presse in 1968, then he looked for companies in Europe and he met the Belgian financier Albert Frère to the board of directors of Paribas. The two men discovered an alter ego, applying the same techniques, a friendly investment in substantial firms. Groupe Bruxelles Lambert has interests in Imerys, Lafarge, Total, SGS, Pernod Ricard, the Desmarais family enjoys connections to politicians worldwide. Critics charge that the political connections provide it with unfair advantages in business